Follow these simple steps to ensure you brew the best cup of gourmet Kona coffee possible.
- When you buy Kona coffee online, purchase only whole Kona coffee beans, preferably farm direct, single estate – not blended from different sources.
- Store the gourmet coffee beans in a cool, dark, dry place in a sealed container or zip-locked bag. You must protect the coffee from moisture, oxygen, sunlight, and high temperatures to preserve its freshness and flavor.
- Grind only what you are going to brew at the time, and grind it just before you begin brewing.
- Use a Burr grinder, which won’t overheat the beans – a regular grinder can essentially re-roast the coffee beans.
- Don’t grind the coffee too coarse or your coffee will be flat and flavorless without body. Don’t grind the coffee too fine because it breaks up the beans’ fibers and exposes the aromatic oils to oxygen, hurting the coffee’s taste with a bitterness from the excess flavor extraction.
- Brew the coffee in a French Press.
- Make sure your French press and the pot used to boil the water are perfectly clean. Any concentration of minerals on the equipment can impart an undesirable taste, and any old coffee oil residue deposited on the equipment will become rancid over time and also impart bitterness to the gourmet Kona coffee. Lime deposits built up in the pot can be removed with a strong solution of vinegar and water.
- After washing the coffee making equipment make sure and remove and soap residue by washing and rinsing the equipment with some baking soda and water – this will neutralize any remaining acids and coffee oil.
- When brewing the coffee, use bottled spring water, or another source of good, clean water – not soft or distilled water because you want the minerals but not the taste of chlorine or other odors. Tap water may have chemicals added by the local water company, though attaching a filter to your water faucet works well. If you do use tap water make sure and use cold water because hot water can pick up impurities in the pipes, and water that has been sitting loses oxygenation.
- Bring the water to a boil then let it cool just slightly before placing the coffee in the French Press. Ideally the coffee is brewed to about 200 degrees Fahrenheit for maximum release of the coffee’s aromas and flavorful oils.
- Use about 1½ to 2 level tablespoons of coffee for a 6 ounce cup (about ½-ounce of coffee for a strong cup). One pound of Kona coffee beans will produce about 45 cups of coffee.
- Allow the coffee to steep for about 4 minutes, then plunge the press very slowly allowing optimal interaction between the coffee and the hot water so that aromatic oils are released. The brewed coffee should have the appearance of thick honey.
- To ensure a clean, fresh, pure gourmet coffee taste, use either a stainless steel or gold mesh filter instead of paper filters which can release dyes, chlorine, and bleach – all of these affect the coffee’s taste. If you do use paper coffee filters then the brown, unbleached filters are best.
- For optimal taste and aroma the coffee should be consumed right away, but if you need to keep your coffee hot for a longer period of time then the best way to keep your coffee hot without hurting the flavor is to use either a steel thermos or an air pot.
Now relax and enjoy your sweet and balanced cup of premium Kona coffee, so rich in aroma and taste – this gourmet Kona coffee has been nurtured by the perfect combination of sun, soil, and water, then carefully milled and roasted by Kona coffee farmers who have a strong pride in their heritage and in their gourmet Kona coffee product – and they take great care at every stage from soil to sip.
Also see: The Top Ten Coffees in the World
Just around the corner,
There’s a rainbow in the sky.
So let’s have another cup o’ coffee,
And let’s have another piece o’ pie.
- Irving Berlin, 1932